Musical sounder.



No. 699,978. Paten ted May I3, I902.

' H. ROHEMEYER...

MUSICAL sounmzn. i

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1901. Renwed Sept. 24, 1901.)

(No Model.)

' WITNESSES: lNVENTOR f z/W I O/Lt/bw. e 4% 6 ATTORNEY n: NORRIS FETERS cow Pnoroumou wnsumaram n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY RODEMEYER, OF NENV YORK, N. Y.

MUSICAL SOUNDER.

$PECIFIOATIONfbrming part of Letters Patent No. 699,978 dated May 13,- 1902.

Application filed January 29, 1901. Renewed September 24, 1901. Serial No. 76,412. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY RODEMEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Sounders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device which has many applications, and which has for its object to produce a device or instrument adapted for producing musical notes by the vibrations of a taut or strained ribbon of metal, silk, or other suitable material, the vibrations being produced by currents of air made to impinge obliquely on the ribbon, as will be hereinafter more minutely described.

In the drawings which serve to illustrate my invention several embodiments of it are shown.

Figure 1 is a face View of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the end pieces of the body. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same, showing one ribbon at each side or edge of the body of the instrument. Fig. 4 is a cross-section similar to Fig. 3, but showing two ribbons at each side of the body. Fig. 5 is a cross-section showing the body, made of wood or other non-metallic material and hollowed at the back. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of a double form of the instrument, and Fig. 7 of a triple or slotted form. Fig. Sis a crosssection showing a slightly-different shape of the body.

Referring primarily to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, A represents the body as a whole,'and B the ribbons. In these figures the body is made hollow, of sheet metal or other thin hard resonant material, and is provided with end pieces a, which may be shaped and constructed as seen in Fig. 2, although the precise form and construction of this part a is not important to my invention. The body has its front or face beveled or sloped down toward its lateral edges, as seen at a a, and preferably, also, its edges 0. will be beveled, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Theribbons B are mounted on the end pieces a at the respective lateral edges of the body, and their facesare oblique to the general plane of the body, (indicated by the line main Fig. 4.) The ribbons at the opposite edges of the body'incline at their front edges toward the body, so that when the instrument is viewed from the front, as in Fig. 1, the outer faces of the ribbons will be seen in oblique projection. There may be one or more ribbons at each lateral edge, of the body. In Figs. 1 and 4 two ribbons are shown at each side or edge, and in Fig. 3 only one ribbon at each edge is shown. The ribbons are strained more or less tightly by any means desired and secured in position.

Now if this instrument be moved rapidly through the air face foremost the air vibrates the ribbons and produces musical notes, which will vary according to the material of which the ribbons are made, their tension, and the rapidity of the movement of the instrument through the air.

attached to one end of the body, the instrument being swung in a circle about the head. In doing this, however, the instrument must not rotate about its longitudinal axis, and it must move face foremost. The face of the instrument is that presented in Fig. 1 andthat which is above in Figs. 3 and 4. The

air impinging on the inclined faces a of the body is deflected against the inner faces of the ribbons, while the body of air through which the instrument moves impinges on the outer faces thereof.

Fig. 5 shows the body A, made of some nonmetallic material and hollowed at the back. In Fig. (i'there are two bodies A connected at their ends, the bodies being arranged abreast. In Fig. '7 three bodies A are ar= ranged abreast, or the one broad body has two slots a in which ribbons B are mounted. In Fig. 8 the faces a are slightly concave.

If the ribbons are not all of the same material or have not the same tension, a plurality oftones will be produced which may be made to harmonize to some extent. The humming, buzzing, or singing sounds of insects may be readily produced by this in strument.

Obviously theinvention may be embodied in various forms, and I have shown some of these. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A musical sounder having beveled faces extending to its lateral edges, the said edges This movement may be effected by means of a cord 0, Fig. 1,

3. A musical sounder comprising a hollow 15 body A, with inclined faces a, and ribbons B, at its lateral edges,said ribbons being strained or taut and having their faces oblique to the general plane of the body, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 14th day of January, 1901, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY RODEMEYER.

Witnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, PETER A. Boss. 

